Damaru: India musical instrument

A damaru or damru is a small, two-headed musical drum that is used in Hinduism and Tibetan Buddhism.

source of picture: kamakoti.org

The musical instrument is typically manufactured of wood, with leather drum head at the two ends of the instrument; the musical drum might also be produced entirely out of human skulls. The resonator of the instrument is produced of brass. The height of the musical instrument is about 6 inches and the weight of the musical instrument differs from 250 to 330 gm. The height of the musical instrument ranges from a few inches to a little over one foot. The musical instrument is played single handedly. The strikers of the instrument are characteristically beads fixed firmly to the ends of leather cords around the instrument’s waist. Knots in the leather can as well be used as strikers of the instrument; also crochets material is common for this. As the player of the musical instrument waves the drum with the use of twisting wrist motion, the strikers beat on the head of the drum.

The damaru is very common all through the Indian subcontinent. The musical instrument is referred to as a power drum and when the drum is played, it is said that is evoke spiritual energy. The musical instrument is linked with the Hindu deity shiva. Also it is believe that Sanskrit language was acknowledged by the drumbeats of the musical instrument, and his the performance of the cosmic dance of tandava. The musical instrument is used by itinerant music players of all stripes, because of the portable size of the instrument.

In some shield shape of some versions of the musical instrument, the triangular upward illustration also epitomizes male procreativity, which is the lingam, and the downward round illustration epitomizes the female procreativity, which is the yoni. Symbolically, the creation of the world started when the lingam and the yoni meet at the midpoint of the damaru and also the demolition of the world starts when the lingam separates from the yoni.

In the Tibetan Buddhism tradition, the musical instrument is part of a collection of sacred equipment and musical instruments was espoused from the tantric practices of the ancient India. These reached the land of Snows from the 8^th century to 12^th century, enduring in Tibet as the practice of Vajrayana succeeded there, even as it disappeared in the Indian subcontinents.

The skull version of the musical instrument is manufactured from a male and a female skull bone or calvarium, well cut above the area of the ear and merged at their apex. Inside the male and the female mantras are roughly emblazoned in gold. The skins are roughly cured by entombing them with copper and some other mineral salts and special herbal formulas for about 2 weeks. These are then spread and applied to the both sides, giving the skins the acquainted blue or green dappled presence. A collar of artless brocade or copper or silver, has a hand-hold, and is the site of add-on of the beaters, whose knit shield symbolizes two eyeballs. The skulls are cautiously selected for their qualities and source. After the Tibetan diaspora in the year 1960, they started to be produced in India and Nepal, with a continued squalor of quality. Presently, India is no more a source, and their creation and carry across from Nepal are banned, due to the obtaining of human bone through unlawful practices. One still sometimes find those with painted skin and without the appropriate mantras or other attributes.

The representation and the energetic qualities of the drums are extensive. These human skull versions of the musical instrument are used in a wide variety of Vajrayana ritual, as a typical hand accompaniment to the bell that is held in the left hand by the player of the musical instrument. This drum that is often used together as a pronunciation or punctuation during the different tantric practices, can as well keep time during the whole passages. For the solo practitioner, the musical instrument is an important tool, while in larger assemblies, the presiding Rinpoches and chant master are the only users of the musical instrument, in concert with the long horn, which is called ‘redung’, short horn, which is called ‘jalung’, large cymbals, which are called ‘silnyne and rolmo’, and the large temple musical drums known as ‘nga’.